Archive for 2013

The 14th Annual Latin Grammy Awards is the most coveted and prestigious awards show in Latin Music. November 21st 2013 saw the crème de la crème of the Latin music scene flock to Las Vegas for an unforgettable celebration.

CIROC joined the party this year with its inaugural event sponsorship. To highlight its presence and capture the spirit of the Latin community, the brand called upon MKTG INC to activate a series of ancillary events.

First up, MKTG INC designed and produced CIROC’s official after-party for the ‘Person Of The Year’ tribute gala, which honored Spanish superstar Miguel Bose. Overlooking the bright lights of the strip, this event took place at Mix on the 64th floor of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. MKTG INC transformed this space into a futuristic setting, complete with space-aged dancers, live DJs and a spectacular customized DJ booth and LED backdrop that looked like something out of the Starship Enterprise. VIPs, celebrities, influencers and guests of CIROC were also treated to the mixology skills and cocktail experience of two of the world’s best bartenders – Mario Seijo and David Rios.

The following night at the official Latin Grammy after party, MKTG INC created an exclusive “celebrity lounge” for CIROC that included a red carpet arrivals area and a dedicated interview platform for E! Latin America, CIROC’s exclusive media partner. Once again, Mario Seijo and David Rios were on hand to treat guests to a collection of cocktails that highlighted the premium vodka’s fresh and distinctive flavor.

These incredible experiences left a lasting impression on all who were lucky enough to attend; and for those that didn’t, you can rest assure that ‘what happened in Vegas didn’t stay in Vegas’ thanks to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. #CirocLatinGrammys

In 2013, Nintendo’s primary goal was to get the new Wii U console in to as many consumers’ hands as possible. To do this, they had to look beyond their past holiday experiences, and insert themselves into spaces where the consumer would be looking for a fun escape during their hectic holiday shopping and travel schedules. So in addition to their 8th year activating the Holiday Mall Experience, Nintendo partnered with Southwest Airlines to become their official video game partner and bring Wii U Gaming Lounges to 6 airports across the country. Both experiences bring the Wii U console and some of the best-reviewed games of the year to 23 malls and 6 airports across the country, from November 25th – December 22nd.

The Mall activations feature both the Wii U and the 3DS family of products, and visitors have the option of playing 30 titles across all products. Each site also features a compact version of the prize wheel featured at E3 this year, and these have already proven to be a popular draw at every site.

The inaugural Wii U Gaming Lounges at 6 airports across the country (Chicago – Midway, Tampa, St. Louis, Dallas Love Field, Atlanta, and Denver) feature 6 Wii U consoles with the opportunity to demo the brand new Super Mario 3D World. Nintendo and Southwest are also partnering for additional events, including their launch event on November 26th where all passengers on a Southwest flight from New Orleans to Dallas Love Field received a voucher for a free Wii U.

So take a break in between dashing between Black Friday sales and snow delays at the airport to demo the latest Nintendo systems and games – click this link to find a mall location and visit before December 22nd!

CP3 plays with his own personal style of unpredictable quickness. Don’t blink – you might not catch all the calculated nuances when he drives to the paint.

To launch the campaign around the new CP3.VII shoe, Jordan Brand and MKTG INC built a cutting-edge “cube” installation, a never-been-done-before 20-foot glass-paneled regulation basketball court, dropped into the parking lot across from the Staples Center.

The campaign kicked off with graffiti murals appearing “overnight” to get the buzz started and continued with intense skills clinics at the Expo gym downtown. For several weeks kids readied for the challenge at the “cube.”

To interpret CP3s “riquickulous” basketball artistry into an overall experience, we designed four days of programing filled with one unexpected moment after another.

The “cube” was unveiled with an exclusive, invite-only event for Clippers teammates and influencers. The red carpet was packed, Jermaine Dupri DJed, Wale and Problem performed, and guests lined up for the customization area and interactive photo booth. CP3 and friends had a great time and stayed past 3am.

After a media event the next day, invited student athletes got to test their skills on the court with the #riquickulous challenge. They were then treated to a Mad Skillz Exhibition, Dunk Contest and Q&A with Chris Paul. CP3 even played one-on-one with a lucky fan from the Boys & Girls Club.

The following two days were full of skills challenge moments, high school scrimmages, food trucks, pop-a-shots and more. Then the next day the “cube” was gone – another don’t blink-moment to close out an incredible campaign.

If you’re dreading your holiday travels over the river and through the woods this year, you might look in an unexpected direction for some comfort — up in the air. MKTG INC has teamed up with our friends at DISH to make your annual flight to Grandma’s house more enjoyable. DISH’s partnership with Southwest Airlines means passengers can now watch live TV, completely free, on WiFi -enabled Southwest Airlines aircraft.

Turns out that watching live TV from 10,000 feet is simple: Turn on your iPhone, enable the Wi-Fi, open up the browser, and bingo — next thing you know you’re watching Joanna Krupa and Lisa Hochstein have a go at each other…or, er… you’re watching Power Lunch on CNBC while flying in the sky.

With the weather nasty, maybe you’re dreading a flight delay? There’s nothing to fear with the DISH Hopper, a DVR that transfers to your iPad, so you can watch your favorite shows from Seat 28C just like you’re in your own living room La-Z Boy.

Don’t have an iPad? No problem, feel free to borrow one from our friendly Brand Ambassadors, so you can still enjoy your flight with complementary live TV. Come see for yourself this holiday season:

Chicago (Midway): through November 24
Denver: through December 3
Oakland: through December 3

It’s nearly Movember and the time for change is now! As a part of Generation Moustache, Ketel One is committed to changing the face of men’s health. This is the second year Ketel One has partnered with Movember, last year raising over $30,000.

Each year during the month of November, Movember is responsible for sprouting moustaches on men’s faces around the world. Men (Mo Bros) grow and women (Mo Sistas) support the moustache for 30 days to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health.

Please join us through this month-long journey together, raising awareness for men’s health issues. We encourage you to register for Movember, JOIN TEAM MKTG, and start supporting and growing! By joining our team, you are also joining forces with the greater Ketel One Network, made up of our bartender friends and partners from across the globe.

Your donation will support world-class men’s health programs that combat prostate and testicular cancer. These programs, directed by the Movember Foundation, are focused on awareness and education, living with and beyond cancer, and research to achieve our vision of an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health. To find out more, you can visit the programs section of Movember’s website.

MKTG would like to challenge you to help us surpass the $30,000 donation made on Ketel One’s behalf last year! Let’s change the face of men’s health toge

Greg Lorenzo: MKTG INC Team Captain

It’s officially Movember and the time for change is now! As a part of Generation Moustache, Ketel One is committed to changing the face of men’s health. This is the second year Ketel One has partnered with Movember, last year raising over $30,000.

Each year during the month of November, Movember is responsible for sprouting moustaches on men’s faces around the world. Men (Mo Bros) grow and women (Mo Sistas) support the mustache for 30 days to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health.

Please join us through this month-long journey together, raising awareness for men’s health issues. We encourage you to register for Movember, JOIN TEAM MKTG, and start supporting and growing! By joining our team, you are also joining forces with the greater Ketel One Network, made up of our bartender friends and partners from across the globe.

Your donation will support world-class men’s health programs that combat prostate and testicular cancer. These programs, directed by the Movember Foundation, are focused on awareness and education, living with and beyond cancer, and research to achieve our vision of an everlasting impact on the face of men’s health. To find out more, you can visit the programs section of Movember’s website.

MKTG INC would like to challenge you to help us surpass the $30,000 donation made on Ketel One’s behalf last year! Let’s change the face of men’s health together!

Each quarter, MKTG staffers select one lucky MKTGer for a reward trip to a destination of their choosing. Upon their return, winners are asked to report on their trip and make us all sick with envy.

Terry Warner, NY IT Department:

They call it the land of the midnight sun, and in October I learned why. Alaska is a land of unspoiled beauty — besides an occasional road or two, the landscape I saw on my visit was pure, undiluted and unforgettable.

On my trip I saw the peaks of Denali National Park, the Dalton Highway made famous by Ice Road Truckers, and the frozen tip of the amazing Arctic Circle. The scenes I saw will stay with me for a lifetime, and I honestly hope to go back and visit more of this beautiful state.

Humble thanks to everyone who voted for me — I am so grateful for this chance to explore our beautiful nation!

Everyday there seems to be a new “revolutionary” camera app for the iPhone, but OGGL is something truly special. Created by the same developers behind the legendary Hipstamatic app, OGGL builds off the Hipsta platform but adds a few additional features. Similar to other photo effect apps that come already installed with an array of filters, OGGL supplies the user with the famous lenses and films that have helped changed the photography landscape over the last century.

The app’s interface allows you to combine any film and lens together to create a new photo style – from the Hornbecker and Buckhorst H1 lenses to Ina’s 1982 and US1776 films. What’s also interesting about this app is its community aspect – you can share your photo with the OGGL community, select any member’s photo, cook up your own combination, and add any user’s lens/film recipe to your own favorites for future use.

Video 2 Photo iOS app allows you to edit videos right from your iPhone. The program is dead simple, effective and has a clean interface. The app means you can create great photo compositions even from a collection of random still photos and/or video clips.

The triple digit heat did not stop music lovers converging on Las Vegas for the third-annual iHeartRadio Music Festival sponsored by Smirnoff Vodka. Elton John, Drake, Robin Thicke, Fun, Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Tim McGraw, Paul McCartney and Justin Timberlake were just a few names that rocked the MGM Grand on September 20th-21st. This year, the festival grew significantly with the addition of the 15,000-person Festival Village.

Consumers flooded onto a freshly paved parking lot near the Strip to hear their favorite bands belt out 20 minute sets on two different stages. The most notable performance, was from (SURPRISE, SURPRISE) Miley Cyrus. This was her first major performance since the VMAs. JayCeeOh, winner of this season of Smirnoff’s Master of the Mix series on VH1, played three separate sets throughout the day, giving shout-outs to Smirnoff throughout the day.

MKTG INC activated the Smirnoff tent within the village where festival-goers participated in a silent disco featuring sets from four different Master of the Mix DJs throughout the day. Guests received the ultimate “silent” party experience as they broke it down on the dance floor and sampled one of the four complimentary signature Smirnoff cocktails, including the newest flavors to hit the market, Smirnoff Wild Honey and Smirnoff Cinna-Sugar Twist. Smirnoff also sponsored the backstage lounge at the MGM Grand and all VIP areas within the village.

After 2 days of rock ‘n’ roll in the desert, concert-goers headed back to their respective cities hoping to return next year and “mix” it up all over again.

This past month, MKTG INC felt the need – the need for speed. The NASCAR Contenders live event, held at Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier Ballroom, brought together the top 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ drivers as they continued their journey toward a championship with only 10 races left. This action-packed event allowed fans to get up close and personal with top NASCAR drivers, including Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. The event was hosted by Nicole Briscoe of ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown and featured an interactive Q&A with the sport’s top drivers, plus an exclusive Q&A with former NASCAR Cup champion and 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee Dale Jarrett, led by NASCAR president Mike Helton.

Miss Sprint Cup Kim Coon hosted the pre-show, and Top Gear’s Rutledge Wood was on hand to present the sweepstakes winner, Heather Ringbauer, with a brand-new Toyota Tundra. But the chase isn’t over yet – keep watching, it’s anyone’s race!

Photo Credit: Getty Images

This past month, MKTG INC felt the need – the need for speed. The NASCAR Contenders Live event, held at Chicago’s iconic Navy Pier Ballroom, brought together the top 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ drivers as they continued their journey toward a championship with only 10 races left. This action-packed event allowed fans to get up close and personal with top NASCAR drivers, including Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth and Kyle Busch. The event was hosted by Nicole Briscoe of ESPN’s NASCAR Countdown and featured an interactive Q&A with the sport’s top drivers, plus an exclusive Q&A with former NASCAR Cup champion and 2014 Hall of Fame Inductee Dale Jarrett, led by NASCAR president Mike Helton.

Miss Sprint Cup Kim Coon hosted the pre-show, and Top Gear’s Rutledge Wood was on hand to present the sweepstakes winner, Heather Ringbauer, with a brand-new Toyota Tundra.

Social currency is one of those buzzwords that gets tossed around quite frequently. In its simplest form it’s the totality of the resources that arise from the interactions that take place in social networks or communities, online or off.

Today it is used more in relation to the various online social networks that have cropped up in the last decade—the application, however, remains the same. But let’s take a quick peek down the rabbit hole; what happens when you take social currency to a literal interpretation? That’s when things start to get interesting, where traditional approaches merge with the current, in retrospect, ironic but innovate applications. When you take a literal approach to social currency, you find yourself face to face with a budding trend in the experiential marketing space—interactive socially enabled vending machines. Brands have been increasingly reinventing these ubiquitous traditional retail experiences over the past few years with a social twist, the utilization of your social interaction as actual currency.

Silliness aside, the common thread among these examples was that they were all instantly shareable, discussable, and in essence viral. Each activation featured highly targeted and exceptionally socially relevant placement that primed participants to share; and for the respective brands engendered true social currency along the way. But then again, who wouldn’t if a vending machine dispensed a kayak on your way to work (Tourism British Columbia – The BC Moments Machine).

Can we see tweets, increasingly complex handshakes, or gangnam style horse dances replacing cold hard cash in the next five years? Probably not, but with the advent of wireless and wallet free payment methods, new paradigms of business are definitely just around the horizon.